Our Multi-Benefit Goals for People and Nature
Protecting and Enhancing Coastal Ecosystems
With a focus on nearshore marine, coastal watersheds, intertidal and wetland habitats and species, including areas of blue carbon significance, Coastal Quest strives to reduce threats and enhance coastal resiliency through programs that improve and increase effective sustainable management, protection, and restoration.
Increasing Coastal Resiliency for Vulnerable Communities and Economies
We work with vulnerable communities and economies, especially black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) and disadvantaged communities (DACs) to build capacity, financing, and multi-benefit solutions, as well as effective governance in a direction towards sustainability. Our initiatives support bottom-up, pragmatic solutions to increase the well-being of coastal communities.
We empower communities to act. Whether that means providing science or technical expertise, connecting communities with financial or human resources inside or outside of their local area, facilitating public-private partnerships, or even just helping start a conversation in a community – we want to help communities protect the coast, community, and economy. We target our work in communities with high climate- and social-vulnerability, especially in disadvantaged communities.
Our Three Key Strategies
- Capacity-Building and Knowledge Sharing – Coastal Quest works with government practitioners, community-based organizations and individuals to increase use of decision-support tools, share new approaches and models, conduct user-driven actionable research, identify best practices, and provide the materials and training that best fit government and community needs and objectives. We support government and community organizations, especially socially vulnerable communities and youth with climate resiliency support, leadership, and capacity.
- Build Support and Pilot, Implement Solutions – Coastal Quest works with partners to identify needs, opportunities, and new tools and approaches that will lead to actionable design and implementation of solutions. We will work to build decision-maker and community support and strengthen legal frameworks and governance structures. We will work to increase adoption and support of solutions, ensure effective project development, and conduct meaningful pilots and on the ground projects.
- Financing, Regranting and Fiscal Sponsorship – Coastal Quest provides assistance with developing strategic partnerships, identifying public and private funding to implement solutions, regranting, fiscal sponsorship and other project management and administration tasks in order to increase our partners’ ability to fund and implement coastal resilience solutions, projects, and build capacity.
In a world where many people are passionate about protecting the environment, and new, innovative ideas for environmental protections and solutions are a dime a dozen, it is critical to align interests, work, and funding across industries and organizations. Often local, state, regional, and federal governments lack expertise, resources, or funding to accomplish what they desire or are mandated to do by legislation, and are expected to deliver in a timely manner. It is in these situations that connecting government to the private sector and philanthropic organizations is critical. Coastal Quest considers these public-private partnerships an essential tool in realizing coastal resiliency projects in a time frame that is appropriate for mitigating coastal resource degradation and protecting coastal communities.
We are experienced in facilitating such public-private partnerships and leveraged funding from some of the largest philanthropic organizations in the country with public agency dollars, working with them to align interests, leverage funds, and create and implement sustainable environmental solutions.
Our Partners
We believe that effective stakeholder engagement, collaboration, and partnership is the key to success for lasting positive change and to protect and enhance our coasts for people and nature. We are pleased to have lasting partnerships with the following organizations:
